Why is it wrong to extrapolate results from animal tests to humans?
Extrapolation from animals to humans can and does result in dangerously misleading outcomes. The reason is due to species differences. Different species have a different genetic make-up and it is on the genetic and molecular level that variances occur. Results can differ between different sexes of the same species, different strains, and even due to different housing conditions or levels of stress within the same species. So if such differences can occur within the same species then it’s negligent to extrapolate from say a rat to a human – two totally different species with a totally different genetic make-up. Researchers often claim that animals are used because they need to test procedures, treatments and products in a living system rather than on isolated cells or tissue, however an entire living system creates even more variables which can further affect the outcome of any results. Another problem is that quite often a disease that is being researched does not appear in its natural
